How to Make Lacto-Fermented Vegetables
Lacto-fermented vegetables are cultured vegetables. You've probably heard of sauerkraut, kim chi, and sour dill pickles, right? These are all forms of lacto-fermentation. Many people use whey as a starter but it is not necessary as long as you use enough salt. Making your own lacto-fermented vegetables is so easy that once you start you'll be hooked!
Traditionally, lacto-fermentation was used to preserve the harvest and store vegetables for the winter. If you have a garden full of cabbage, cauliflower, beets, carrots, and green beans and don't know how to store them all, consider making a few batches of lacto-fermented vegetables. These veggies can be stored in your refrigerator for months....if they last that long!
Lacto-fermented vegetables provide a viable source of beneficial microbes to help heal and maintain a healthy gut. These beneficial microorganisms attach to receptors in our guts that send a signal to the immune system that says everything is okay, no need to overreact to foods and other things entering the gut, let's keep everything calm. If you are dealing with multiple food sensitivities, chances are your gut is out of balance and is in need of a daily dose of beneficial microorganisms. These crispy, sour, salty vegetables are highly addicting and an easy, economical way to help maintain a healthy gut. These vegetables are also important to include daily if you are following an Elimination Diet.
Use your lacto-fermented vegetables to top cooked quinoa, beans, and chopped leafy greens. Serve them atop grilled fish or chicken. Serve them with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Serve them as an appetizer for a holiday meal. I like to add them to salmon or chicken salads made with mayonnaise. Just try to restrain yourself from eating the whole jar in one sitting....it may be a little too much salt all at once! You can also whisk some of the leftover brine with olive oil, a squirt of dijon mustard, and a dash of honey for a delicious probiotic salad dressing!
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Basic Lacto-Fermented Vegetables
Lacto-fermented vegetables can be made with different combinations of fresh vegetables and herbs creating a wide variety of flavor profiles. I have tried using a salt brine made up from anywhere between 1 to 2 tablespoons of sea salt per 2 cups of water and found that 2 tablespoons is too salty and slows down fermentation too much, so use anywhere between 1 and 1 ½ tablespoons. I prefer to use Redmond Real Salt for lacto-fermentation, however, sea salt or pink Himalayan salt work well too! It is very important that you use filtered water for all fermentation. Chlorine in water is great for keeping our water supply clean but not so good for allowing beneficial bacteria to grow during the lacto-fermentation process.
You'll need a glass quart jar with a lid, though there are many different types of fermentation lids you can use to help release the gasses. Latch lid jars also work quite well, however, they produce a strong seal so you need to be sure to "burp" them once or twice a day during the height of the fermentation process otherwise they run the risk of cracking as pressure builds up. An airlock lid screwed onto a mason jar is the easiest method for beginners. I highly recommend using these if you are unaccustomed to fermenting vegetables.
Brine
Any Combination of Fresh Vegetables
Any Combination of Herbs and Spices
- First dissolve your sea salt in water in a glass jar or 2-cup glass measure; set aside.
- Then chop up your favorite combination of vegetables, keeping them all relatively the same size. You'll need 3 to 4 cups of raw veggies. Set aside.
- First place any herb and spice flavorings at the bottom of the jar. This helps to keep them from floating to the top. A teaspoon of whole black peppercorns, a few cloves of chopped garlic, and a handful of fresh dill is my typical flavoring combination.
- Next pack in your chopped raw vegetables into the quart jar (you can use a larger cylindrical jar, ceramic crock, or latch-lid jar instead; just add more veggies and double or triple the salt brine, keeping the same ratio of salt and water). Make sure you leave about an inch of space from the top of the jar.
- Then cover with your salt brine, leaving about an inch to a half inch from the top. Fold a small cabbage leaf and press it into the brine so the water floats above it and the vegetables are completely submerged. Cover with a plastic lid or special fermenting lid (it is best not to use metal as the salt and acids can corrode it, though I have used them occasionally if that is all I have). Screw the lid on tightly.
- Set your jar inside of a baking dish to catch any leaking juices in an undisturbed area of your kitchen and away from direct sunlight. The warmer your location, the faster fermentation will occur.
- After day 2 or 3 begin to "burp" your jars once or twice daily to let excess gasses escape (unless you are using a special fermenting lid). You can do this by unscrewing the lid just enough to hear the gasses release and then quickly tightening it back up. You should see a bit of bubbling and some liquid possibly dripping out after about day three, depending on the heat level in your home.
- You can taste the veggies after about five days to see how soured they are. I prefer to let mine ferment for about 10 to 14 days in the winter and 6 to 7 days in late summer. I have also let them ferment for 3 to 4 weeks, depending on environmental conditions and the size of the vegetables. Finely chopped or shredded vegetables ferment faster, while large slices or pieces of vegetables take longer to ferment due to the amount of substrate available for the bacteria. Just experiment, there is no exact science with fermentation. After your veggies are soured to your liking place the jar (or jars) into your refrigerator where they will store for months.
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About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
Just another positive comment here on how easy this looks now! I have also been wanting to try this for a while and have been daunted by the details. I may just pick up some veggies and plastic lids on the way home from work today and get started. Thank you!
Mollie
www.thealmondflower.com
I never thought about fermenting cauliflower! I love it pickled so I'm sure I'll love it fermented. Can't wait to try it.. thanks
This is great! I'm getting together with some friends this weekend and trying it together ;).
Besides making dressing with the brine, is there anything else that can be done with it? Can I use it again to pickle more veggies?
Just checked on my first batches of fermented veggies. They are on their seventh day and are definitely on their way to being very tasty. They're tasty now but need at least three more days.
I tried one batch with lemon juice (4 tablespoons juice per 2 cups of water). They did NOT turn out. BLEAH! More lemon juice will be needed if this method is to be successful.
Thank you! I have been looking to try making lacto-fermented veggies but have always been put off by the need for whey in recipes. Now I have a way! Can't wait to try it!
Ali,
I've been lurking on your site for quite awhile. I love your recipes and I can't wait to try this. I've been wanting to try fermenting at home and really appreciate the video!!
amazing!! what a wonderful post.
I adore fermented veggies.
peace & raw health,
elizabeth
I'm trying this tonight!! I've made two jars so far. Do I need to scoop off "scum" before eating? Some other blogs say to do that, especially when adding cabbage in with the other veggies or can I just eat it right away? Thanks!!!
Wow you make it sound so simple and stress free. I've wanted to make these for so long but my fear of "canning" and poisoning everyone in the house keeps me rooted to my chair!!!
You inspire me to just try it!!!
This is such a helpful post because I am on the Elimiation diet right now and needed something to give my Phase 1 meals a little extra kick. However, I was hoping you could clarify why some of the items not allowed in Phase 1 are not reintroduced lated in a subsequent phase. Specifically vanilla, vinegar, buckwheat, and mushrooms. I have noticed that this question has come up before in the comments list and I was hoping for a confirmation that they are ok after Phase 1. Thank you so much for all the work you have put into this website--it, (along with your cookbook), has been an incredible resource for me.
If you ever come up with a way to make Natto at home I would love to see a tutorial. I loves me some Natto.
Star - I think you are referring to the botulism toxin. Green beans and other low-acid vegetables need to be pressure canned to destroy botulism. Botulism grows in low-acid, anaerobic environments. When you ferment fresh vegetables you encourage the growth of bacteria that produce acid. The acidic environment does not allow for botulism to grow. It is only something you need to be concerned about when canning, not fermenting. :)
I was wondering about the green beans. In traditional canning we are warned about them producing dangerous if not lethal toxins if not processed properly. Is this an issue with lacto fermation as well?
I have wanted to try this for awhile now, but seeing your pretty photos and easy recipe is much more inspiring. Thank you!
This is great Ali, and awesome job with the video Tom!
Thank you, thank you! This is my new obsession and your video will be helpful. We made fermented veggies for the first time that were ready yesterday and the only problem was that we ate half the quart immediately!
Karen - The cabbage is there to serve as a "weight" and hold down the veggies so they stay submerged in the water (and also offer some beneficial bacteria). It is not meant for eating. Once the veggies are done, you remove the cabbage leaf and compost it. If you really don't want to use it you can place a smaller plastic lid on top of the veggies with a boiled rock or some other weight to keep the vegetables submerged.
Tasharuu, Rochelle - I have not tried the lemon juice method with this type of lacto-fermentation so not sure if it could work. I was referring to the type where the majority of the vegetables used are finely ground cabbage. There isn't a brine as the juices from the cabbage are enough to cover the ground vegetables. I may need to experiment now and see if it works!
Jennifer and Jaclyn - Lactobacilli are found on all vegetables and fruits in varying amounts. Cabbage and pickling cucumbers have a lot. I've fermented all sorts of veggies, even without the cabbage leaf present, and they all work.
J - Those are just wide-mouthed quart jars which you can buy practically anywhere...your local food co-op, grocery store, etc. I also have a Harsch Fermentation Crock which I purchased through Azure Standard (free shipping).
This is great, I've fermented cabbage before with mixed results. It comes out different everytime. I'm going to give this a try. I was wondering where you purchased your containers, I've been looking for a good fermenting container.
wonderful post! and love the video! just a question: i thought either cabbage or cucumbers had to be included in the fermented veggies in order for the proper bacteria to grow...can you clarify this?
Great video!! Thanks for making it so clear, so beautiful, and so smart. Roxanne Sukol MD "Your Health is on Your Plate" http://yourhealthisonyourplate.com
I'd like to know how the lemon juice to water ratio too as my kids complain about my veggies being too salty. Thanks!
You mentioned in the newsletter fermenting without the salt, using Lemon Juice what might that look like in terms of lemon juice to water ratio. Also what do you think about using actual fermenting type products such as Body Ecology. I have used it with really good success but have been hesitant to do salt. I like the idea of Lemon Juice!
I've always wanted to do this but have been too intimidated. Thank you for making this simple! Looks so good!
Heather Gerard
this is wonderful! I have been wanting to try lacto-fermenting my own veggies for a while, but all the other recipes online seemed confusing or daunting. Thank you for such a straightforward, easy post. I can't wait to try it!
Thanks for the tutorial, I am a visual learner and love to see it rather than read it. I am wondering if the cabbage leaf on top is required? Is there a substitute I could use as I don't care for cabbage?
Thank again,
Karen
What a cool video guys!! thank you for sharing!!! TOM, that hair!! You're starting to look like my husband! Really enjoyed the tutorial. I've done this several times with cabbage, but never with other vegetables.. looking forward to trying it out!